Halligan’s Hits & Misses: The Phantom Tollbooth
SCHENECTADY, N.Y. >> When I was in middle school my class read a book called The Phantom Tollbooth, and I liked it.
It has a sort of an Alice in Wonderland-like whimsy. Instead of little Alice falling down a rabbit hole, a boy named Milo drives his toy car through a tollbooth that magically appears in his home.
Milo’s adventures in “The Lands Beyond” are quirky and clever, as are the characters he meets.
When I was older, I saw the 1970s movie of The Phantom Tollbooth, and I very much enjoyed that as well. Its animated segments bring to the screen depictions of characters like Tock, The Humbug and Princesses Rhyme and Reason.
Last week, I spent some time with these characters and the beloved story once again as they graced the stage of the beautiful Proctors theater in Schenectady.
Though I was not the target age demographic for this production, it was nice to sit near fellow audience members that were, as they experience the magic of The Phantom Tollbooth for the first time.
This time around for me, I consumed the story a little more thoughtfully, and found some noteworthy messages among the dialogue.
My favorite part is when King Azaz gifts Milo a box filled with all the words he knows.
He says, “Most of them you will never need, some you will use constantly, but with them you may ask all the questions which have never been answered and answer all the questions which have never been asked. All the great books of the past and all the ones yet to come are made with these words. With them there is no obstacle you cannot overcome. All you must learn to do is use them well and in the right places.”
I’m #TeamWords, #KingAzaz in the whole words versus numbers debate between the king and his brother, and as a writer I certainly value the importance of using words well and in the right places.
Another favorite line is about learning from one’s mistakes. Author Norton Juster writes:
“You must never feel badly about making mistakes ... as long as you take the trouble to learn from them.”
But by far the most quotable nugget of wisdom from the story, and a lovely message to send children indeed, is this: “So many things are possible just as long as you don’t know they’re impossible.”
Not matter how old you are, I think anyone can learn a thing or two from The Phantom Tollbooth and find it to be a charming tale - as long as you haven’t gotten stuck in the doldrums.